I am a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) baby. My diaphragm developed with a hole in it and my organs were misplaced in my chest cavity. The organs pushed on my lungs, causing one lung to be very small. I was born on October 9, 2007 at Johns Hopkins. Now it is three years later: I am saying a bunch of words, I still receive foods through a g-tube and am on oxygen while I sleep. I can't walk yet, but believe I can out scoot anyone! Here is the story of my amazing and patient recovery.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Baking Cookies

Our nurse is running a marathon in Nashville, so I get to spend more time with Chloe and Wyatt!!! This morning we walked to the grocery store in honor of Earth Day and bought ingredients to make cookies!! Then we went to story time to learn about bears. While Wyatt was napping, Chloe and I made oatmeal raisin cookies. Chloe was such a good little helper... her favorite part was putting the sprinkles on! Very rarely do I get the opportunity to be alone with both of my kids together.... I was always very nervous going out in public with Wyatt and a 2 year old... but it wasn't so bad after all and I enjoyed every second with them today:))

Hopkins called today and said that the MRI and Upper GI series is scheduled... however she said that it's normally an outpatient procedure, but in Wyatt's case the nurses reviewed his records and he will be admitted to the hospital for observation and will probably be in the PICU!! It is scheduled in the beginning of May. Only my boy would be admitted to the hospital for a MRI:))))

By the way... if Kellie, Carter's Mom is reading this... what happened to your blog? I went to read it this evening and it's invitation only and the letters for CDH blog was removed. Feel free to e-mail me:))) gbkoger@yahoo.com.

Wyatt at 3 Years Old

Wyatt at 4 months old

Blog Archive

Hurdles that I faced and achieved!

After birth, I was placed on ECMO at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 13 days. On day 13, I had a surgery to repair my hernia and was removed from ECMO, but my organs would not fit in my abdomen. I had a silo for a week and then surgery to place the organs back in the abdomen. Then, part of my intestines re-herniated into my chest cavity two months later and I had another surgery to repair that. After my first surgery, I experienced an intraventricular hemorrhage in my brain and at four months old I received a VP shunt. After I was extubated, I learned that I have right vocal cord paralysis. Then I had g-tube surgery and after I finally got to go home after 5 longs months at Johns Hopkins and Mt. Washington Hospital! Only for a few weeks, though. In mid-April my intestines reherniated again and sent me into surgery. I came home, and had a long run before my THIRD reherniation in the beginning of September on Labor Day weekend in 2008. Then I was hospitalized for twice during the winter 2009 for two respiratory infections. Well, I almost lasted a year until my next surgery! Just this past June, in 2009, I had surgery to wrap my stomach around the esophagus, a nissen. This has helped with my reflux and my hiatal hernia. I will be 2 in October, I love scooting around but refuse to stand up and walk. I am a little miracle and thank God, my doctors, my nurses, family, and friends for my strength, my fight and a happy life.